For the next nine days, Huntington Beach will be a sea of bikinis and board shorts as an expected 1 million people flood the sand next to the pier to take part in the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing.

The world's largest surf festival and contest kicks off Saturday at the epicenter of surf culture.

Action sports fans will come from around Southern California and the world to get up close to the globe's best surfers, lining the water's edge and pier to watch their favorite athletes go head to head.

Others will be more interested in the famous skaters such as Ryan Sheckler and legends such as Steve Caballero hitting the lip of the custom-made concrete skate bowl, or the massive free concerts that pack people like sardines on the sand with the blue Pacific Ocean as the backdrop.

Of course, there will also be the people watching the sun-kissed beachgoers flaunting the latest beach styles while cruising around the dozens of booths set up in the 14-acre festival area.

Workers on Friday were hustling to put the final touches on building the city on the sand. The grandstands to watch the surf are set up, and the wooden walkways lining the sand were near ready for spectators to stroll along the maze. Flags and banners waving the Vans name were dotted everywhere around the new city on the sand.

The event will have a different look and feel than the past few years, with several major changes implemented by Vans, the new headlining sponsor that has signed up to put on the event for the next three years.

Doug Palladini, general manager and vice president of Americas for Vans, said the decision was a "no brainer" to sign up as the new sponsor after Nike stepped out after last year's event. Vans started in Orange County in 1966, and has many ties to Huntington Beach including a new multi-million skate park for the public to be open this year.

"We're investing in Huntington Beach as the epicenter of action sports," he said. "We said 'let's do this.' It gives us a chance to express our entire brand."

Palladini said there are four components beachgoers will find on the sand: a mix of action sports, art, music and street culture.

With the surf, there's the main competition that will draw more than 200 surfers from around the world. And they are also adding the Joel Tudor Duct Tape Invitational, a longboard contest that celebrates the classic style of longboarding.

Skate fans can expect big things. Vans looked around the world for inspiration on the type of bowl they wanted to use, and decided on a recreation of an old historic bowl inspired by the Skatepark du Prado bowl on the sand in Marseilles, France. The temporary, concrete bowl that sits on the sand is adorned with touches of street art. Vans is holding an invite-only contest with 30 world-class bowl riders to battle for $75,000.

The free music concerts will be on Thursday and Friday instead of the weekend, to help keep crowds at a reasonable level. Residents have complained in recent years that the crowds were near riot points. This year's music line-up was announced this week and includes Modest Mouse, The Faint, Twin Shadow, along with Huntington Beach-native Matt Costa.

Vans hopes this year will be a more family-friendly event. The event producer IMG has doubled security, and there will be things to do with kids like movie nights showing newly released and classic movies such as "Goonies" at the amphitheater on the north side of the pier.

"A lot of homeowners headed to the hills during the U.S. Open; they wanted to get out of town," Palladini said. "We want to change that, and make it a source of local pride. I want them to know their kids are safe on the beach. There's nothing R- or X-rated at the event. It can really be a family atmosphere. We want people to bring their beach chairs and blankets down and bring that element back."

But for those who do want to see the wild side that the U.S Open brings to town, there are plenty of parties happening through the week at local restaurants and bars, with well-known surfers guest bartending at places such as Sharkeez on Main Street, or a party at the Shorebreak that draws about 1,000 people. Then there's the wackiness of the event such as a taco eating contest Sunday hosted by Chronic Tacos, which promises to draw Guinness Book of World Record holder Takeru Kobayashi, who has records for eating the most hot dogs. Last year, Kobayashi broke a world record by eating 106 tacos in 10 minutes.

In the water, one of the exciting things about this year's event is fans get to see a broad range of the world's best surfers, said Association of Surfing Professional spokesperson Robert Shadley.

The world's best women surfers will also be in the event, including Santa Ana's Courtney Conlogue, who won the event in 2009. She is ranked fourth among the world's top 20 women surfers. Unfortunately, with the postponement of the Roxy Pro because of lack of swell last week, a women's world champion won't be crowned at the U.S. Open this year.

On the men's side, there's a mix of surfers such as Kelly Slater, who holds 11 world titles and is among the oldest surfers in the event at 41, along with Huntington local Kanoa Igarashi, the event's youngest competitor at 15.

Finishing touches were being put on the Van's Welcome Center on the beach at Huntington Beach Friday for the start of the US Open of Surfing on Saturday. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A loader weaves its way among beach goers Friday as preparations continue for the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach. The event starts Saturday and continues through July 28. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A worker attaches signage Friday on the scaffolding holding up the bleachers at the skate stadium for the US Open of Surfing which opens in Huntington Beach on Saturday. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A cement skate bowl was installed for this year's skate events at the US Open of Surfing event at Huntington Beach which starts Saturday. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A cement skate bowl was installed for this year's skate events at the US Open of Surfing event at Huntington Beach which starts Saturday. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
People watch a surfer shoot the Huntington Beach pier Friday. Huntington Beach was preparing for the start of the US Open of Surfing that starts on Saturday. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Surfing instructor Jacob Canter of the Huntington Beach Surf School leads his students across the sand Friday where preparations continued for the start of the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
David Rodriguez of Gatorwraps installs signage Friday at the Van's welcome center for Saturday's opening of the US Open of Surfing event. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Workers push an RTV out of a tough spot after it got stuck in the sand Friday. Preparations continued for the start of the US Open of Surfing on Saturday. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Van's store manager Deena Fulghum prepares merchandise Friday that will go on sale at the US Open of Surfing that opens on Saturday. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Bryce Agius, left, and Robert McCraw unpack boxes of Cracker Jack'D as they prepare for the opening of the US Open of Surfing on Saturday. Free sample bags of Cracker Jack'D will be given out during the event. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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